Latest news with #GilmourSpaceTechnologies'
7NEWS
27-05-2025
- Science
- 7NEWS
Cockatoo caught on camera near wires at Queensland rocket launch site amid technical troubles
Cow paddocks, Vegemite and now a cockatoo — Gilmour Space Technologies' latest failed rocket launch couldn't get more Aussie. The Queensland aerospace trailblazer was forced to cancel the highly anticipated launch of its 23-metre Eris rocket on May 16 due to a last-minute electrical fault. Almost two weeks after the start of Australia's first locally-made rocket from the purpose-built Bowen Orbital Spaceport on a former cow paddock was abruptly aborted, an unlikely suspect has emerged: a cheeky cockatoo caught on camera suspiciously close to some critical wiring. Gilmour Space themselves shared a photo of the curious cockatoo on Facebook with a cheeky caption: 'Not saying this is the root cause of our electrical issues ... but we're not ruling him out!' Comments flooded in, mixing humour with disbelief: 'Lucky he didn't launch, could have turned into a flamin' galah,' one said. Another quipped, 'So computers have bugs and rockets have cockatoos.' Another commented, 'Could this be any more Aussie?' Adding to the Aussie flavour, the rocket's payload included a jar of Vegemite — the iconic salty yeast spread that's a staple in homes across the country. Some say the cockatoo might have been lured by the unmistakable aroma. 'It can smell the Vegemite, how Australian,' one Facebook post said. While the bird hasn't been officially named the culprit, Gilmour Space confirmed it might have been 'at best a contributing factor' in the electrical fault that led to the launch being called off. Federal Member for Dawson Andrew Willcox summed it up: 'This is what happens – in all seriousness – when you are launching a rocket out in the elements.' Gilmour Space told 7NEWS they're continuing to investigate the issues and making good progress toward fixes. 'Our team is continuing to investigate the issues identified during our last launch attempt. 'We're making good progress and expect to begin implementing fixes soon. 'We'll share an update on the next launch window as soon as it's confirmed.'
Sky News AU
15-05-2025
- Business
- Sky News AU
First ever Australian-built rocket's launch delayed as issue discovered hours before scheduled take-off
The launch of the first ever Australian-built rocket hoping to reach orbit has been delayed after an issue was discovered just hours before its scheduled take-off. Gilmour Space Technologies is hoping to make history when its Eris rocket launches for the first time from Bowen Orbital Spaceport in north Queensland, and a launch window of between 7.30am - 5.30pm on Thursday had been set. But the Gold Coast-based rocket company provided an update about 6.30am on Thursday morning, sharing that an issue has been identified in the ground support system during overnight checks. 'We're now in an extended hold while we work through it,' a post on the Gilmour Space Technologies' Facebook page said. The company is now hoping to launch on Friday morning. Bowen area residents have been asked to observe all hazard areas for land, sea and air that are in place on launch days. Gilmour Space Technologies announced in February that a launch window starting no earlier than March 15 had been set for Eris' maiden flight, which hoped to make history as the first Australian-designed and built rocket to reach orbit. The news came after the company was given the green light by the Civil Aviation Safety Authority (CASA) and Airservices Australia. Co-founder and chief executive Adam Gilmour highlighted that delays are a 'normal part of rocket launches' that can last from hours to days or even weeks, often caused by technical issues or weather conditions. "Safety is always the top priority. We'll only launch when we're ready, and when conditions are appropriate," Mr Gilmour said in the February announcement. He pointed out 'the first launch is always the hardest' as getting a rocket to reach orbit is a 'highly complex engineering challenge'. "It's almost unheard of for a private rocket company to launch successfully to orbit the first time,' Mr Gilmour said. 'Whether we make it off the pad, reach max Q, or get all the way to space, what's important is that every second of flight will deliver valuable data that will improve our rocket's reliability and performance for future launches." Mr Gilmoir said there are only six countries in the world regularly launching rockets into space using their own technology, and 'Australia could soon be one of them'.
The Star
14-05-2025
- Business
- The Star
Australian-made rocket set for historic space launch
(Left pic) Gilmour Space Technologies' Eris Test Flight 1. - Source: LinkedIn - Australian Space Agency). (Right pic) Prime Minister Anthony Albanese at Gilmour Space Technologies' Gold Coast factory. - Source: X SYDNEY: An Australian company says it aims to make the first orbital test launch of a locally-developed rocket on Thursday (May 15), carrying a jar of Vegemite as its payload. The three-stage Eris rocket is set to fly from a spaceport near Bowen on the east coast, said its developer, Gilmour Space Technologies. If successful, it would be the first Australian-made rocket to make an orbital launch from Australian soil. After securing approval from the Australian Space Agency, takeoff is expected within a multi-day window starting on Thursday (May 15), weather permitting, chief executive Adam Gilmour told AFP on Wednesday (May 14). But he's not setting his hopes too high for now. If it actually orbits Earth "I would probably have a heart attack, actually, because I'll be so surprised, but deliriously happy", Gilmour said. "Look, we're going to be happy if it gets off the pad -- 10, 20, 30 seconds of flight time: fantastic. So orbit is just not in the realm of my belief right now, even though it's theoretically possible." The 23-metre vehicle -- designed to launch small satellites into low-Earth orbit -- is being prepared for takeoff from Abbot Point, about 1,000 kilometres (600 miles) up from the Queensland capital Brisbane. Weighing 30 tonnes fully fuelled, it relies on a "fairly unique" hybrid propulsion system, using a solid inert fuel and a liquid oxidiser, which provides the oxygen for it to burn, Gilmour said. The payload for the test flight is a jar of Vegemite -- a popular Australian toast topping -- but the rocket design is for a capacity of 100-200 kilogrammes (220-440 pounds), with further upgrades being developed. - 'We've done everything' - The test launch comes after about a decade of research by the company, which is backed by private investors including venture capital group Blackbird and pension fund HESTA. "This is the first time an Australian company has done the design, build, manufacture, as well as the launch site. So we've done everything," Gilmour said. The company, which has 230 employees, hopes to start commercial launches in late 2026 or early 2027, he said, and then to rapidly grow revenues. "This is a test launch, which is normal for rockets, and we're going to see how we go and get as much data as we can -- the more flight time we get the better," Gilmour said. A second rocket was already being built for launch sometime around the end of the year. "We're going after the small sat business," he said. "There's thousands and thousands of satellites that need to be launched into low orbit and there's not enough rockets. The signs are so clear about that, so we've just got to move as fast as we can." - AFP
